US Consul General skirts question on visa to Modi

Ahmedabad: US Consul General Peter Haas
on Tuesday skirted question on granting of visa to Gujarat Chief
minister Narendra Modi, saying that they "do not comment on
personal visa matters".

Haas was in the city to participate in a graduation
ceremony by Self-Employed Women`s Association (SEWA) for a
group of women leaders from Kyrgyzstan.
"Its a long-standing US policy... we do not comment on
private visa matters," Haas said when asked if there was any
change in the US policy with regard to granting of visa to
Modi that was denied to him in 2005 in the wake of post-Godhra
communal riots.

Modi`s visa was revoked just two days before his
travel to the US in March 2005.
Modi had alleged at that time that revoking of his
visa, amounted to an "insult" to India and reflected
Washington`s effort to show the country in poor light.